Lay It on Me

36 / L AY I T ON M E

they know. They want others to know that they know everything! The Bible calls them "silly women" who run from house to house telling everything they know about everybody they know (2 Timothy 3:6). That is not what God needs or a man wants in a woman. God wants women who, like Ruth, have a gentle and quiet spirit, one that a person can confide in (1 Peter 3:4). Some people want information to use against a person, but the spirit of Ruth is one of kindness and gentleness. Boaz was a special man who needed a special woman. Boaz was a strong leader. He did not need a strong female personality beside him to compete with. Boaz knew what he was doing. He needed a woman like Ruth, who was willing to work beside him as he pursued the will of God for himself and his family. For the first three years of my ministry, I thought I had to marry a woman with abundant talent. I would carefully observe any single girl who could sing and play the keyboards. It took a few years for me to discover that I didn't necessarily need someone with great musical ability, but I did need a woman with a temperate disposition. I needed someone who would support me when the message didn't go well, when the crowds were down and the altars were empty. When the offerings wouldn't pay the bills and the journey back home was long and difficult, talent alone would not see us through. In times such as these, a beautiful voice and a mastery of the keyboard would not matter! I realized I needed a woman who would hold my hand,